ChipIn™ and change the headlines

Why do private donations matter to agencies working with domestic and family violence?

"Maya (name changed) has been at STAND! for nearly three months now, but every time she sees a story on the news or reads a headline about a domestic violence incident or homicide, a chill runs down her spine. "All I can think of is how close I came to being one of those headlines."

Maya's relationship with her husband was always volatile and emotionally abusive, but after he lost his job and her hours were cut, the financial strain exacerbated the tensions already in their home. "He would get so frustrated, with me, with life, he started throwing things at me when he got upset. The last straw was when they came to repossess our car. After they left, he went nuts, blaming me for all our problems, he started to choke me and then he pulled a knife. That was it, I ran and I didn't stop."

Like more than 185 women and children last year alone, Maya was able to escape her abusive relationship and begin rebuilding her life at STAND!'s shelter. But STAND!'s ability to help Maya and others is in jeopardy. This year we have seen a 500% increase in domestic violence homicides. This summer alone, six people have violently lost their lives."

I have been a regular donor to STAND! Against Domestic Violence for probably 15 years. When ALS entered our lives, we shifted our cash donations to ALSA but I have remained a supporter of the work done by this dedicated group and continue to support holiday and special events. As a result of the recent budget craziness in Sacramento this year, I received a donation request which included the quote above and the following stats:

"With one swipe of the governor's pen, STAND! lost a quarter of our funding (more than $200K) for the emergency shelter and crisis line. these cuts come on top of a 28% total reduction in revenue in the last few years."

The net effect of these cuts?

• Intervention/Emergency Services: 30% reduction in staff providing emergency service including shelter, crisis line and community response over the past two years. Impact: Unanswered Crisis line calls . 50% reduction in support groups vs. 65% increase in crisis line calls this year . 80% reduction of in-person interventions at police stations and local hospitals . County community support services terminated in two counties . Reduced restraining order assistance . reduced support and educational services for shelter families . Substance abue support groups for DV survivors terminated . Fewer shelter beds available.
• Prevention: Community Education / Outreach staff cut by 60% over past few years. Impact: Work with county teens cut in half . Staff partnership with Faith community terminated.

Stand!'s Executive Director Gloria J. Sandoval, provided the following insight into how her organization asks for and utilizes private donations. I am certain that a frank discussion with the ED at any organization involved in protecting families and working to eliminate domestic/family violence would reveal a very similar set of data.

• $250 provides 13 hours of 1:1 case management for a family in shelter
• $500 provides a family with two weeks of transitional housing
• $1000 can teach 1 class of public school students how to recognize and prevent relationship violence
• $2500 can provide 5 days of 24-hour crisis line assistance for those being abused
• $5000 can staff and operate the emergency shelter for 5 days.

If you have been touched in any way by Domestic or Family violence, please give generously to your local DV organization, utilize this month's ChipIn request or purchase a Heart of Hope bracelet benefiting DV Prevention. Your generosity matters to someone whose life may be in jeopardy and need a safe place to start over.